ROME --  The so-called ‘Golden Boy’ of Italian football, internationally recognised as a sporting legend, Francesco Totti was celebrating his 40^th birthday and a lifetime of achievements on the pitch Tuesday.

 Top goal scorer and most capped player in the history of his one and only club, Roma, this milestone presented an opportunity to review his record-studded reign.

 The star scored his 250^th Serie A goal on Sunday at Turin, making him the second best scorer of all time in Italian league history -- preceded only by Silvio Piola. Totti is certainly a unique talent, not only due to his technical ability and shooting genius but also the loyalty he maintains to his only professional club, Roma, having played over 600 games for the team.

 Indeed, Totti is a Roman through and through, having spent his childhood in via Vetulonia of the Appio Latino quarter. He joined the Roma Youth Squad back in 1989 after his mother turned down offers from A. C. Milan, wanting to stay faithful to their home city - something her son has certainly accomplished over his time with Roma ever since his first goal for the squad on Sept. 4, 1994.

  However, the road to his heroic reputation has not always been easy. If we take a look, for example, at the spat with Luciano Spalletti, manager of Serie A club Roma, in February, which left the midfielder dropped following his request for more time on the pitch in a televised interview.

 The question still remains of course as to whether Totti should still be playing football at all -- has the megastar now passed his peak at the grand old age of 40? Possibly. Yet this doesn’t stop the masses of fans from cherishing him like a saint. It appears the player has earned his legendary position within not merely sporting culture but Italian popular culture as a whole.

 It is clear that ‘The Gladiator’ has made a name for himself on an international level too, receiving birthday messages from other global idols such as Usain Bolt and Lionel Messi, who said, “I have always admired you, more and more since the first time we met.”

 An exclusive party was being held on Tuesday evening at Castello di Tor Crescenza, North Rome. The stunning location was also where Totti and his showgirl wife, Ilary Blasi, held their wedding reception in 2005. The guest list for the event boasts a list of VIPs, including CONI president Giovanni Malago, and even old rival Spalletti got an invite from the birthday boy.

 Undoubtedly, despite hitting middle age with a bang, it seems no one is ready to say goodbye to Francesco Totti, just as Francesco Totti is certainly not ready to say goodbye to football. The adored captain shall become Technical Director of Roma following his retirement in 2017.

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